How Does a Volcano Erupt and What Causes It?

Volcanoes erupt because something underground gets too hot and pushes its way out. Imagine a pressure cooker, when it’s too full, steam explodes out. A volcano works the same way: lava, gas, and rocks push up from deep inside Earth until they break through the surface.

Take the quiz →

Examples

A volcano is like a bottle of soda when it's shaken, once the cap comes off, everything rushes out at once.
Imagine a cake baking in an oven: when it’s done, the heat pushes the top up and out like lava.
Think of a volcano as a hot spring, if you add too much pressure, it erupts.

Ask a question

Discussion

Recent activity

Categories: Science · volcanoes,earth science,eruptions